A cross-state police operation has dismantled a criminal network responsible for illegally bringing Bangladeshi nationals into India and forging their identities. Three Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in Mumbai, officials confirmed on Monday, following a joint week-long effort by the Meghalaya and Maharashtra police.
The investigation began on February 14 after Meghalaya police received intelligence reports about a group of suspected Bangladeshi migrants traveling from Guwahati to Shillong. Five individuals, including a child, were detained at the Nongpoh checkpoint in Ri-Bhoi district. During questioning, they admitted to entering India illegally two months prior via a smuggling network, reaching Mumbai in search of work, and now attempting to return to Bangladesh.
Their interrogation led police to Shaikh Mohd Mujib, a key facilitator based in Mumbai’s Sewri area. Further investigation and coordinated raids resulted in the arrest of Mujib and two other accomplices—Nusrat A Kazi, apprehended in Koparkhairane, and Jabir Yunus Shaikh, who was nabbed in Ulwe. Mujib was caught at Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg in South Mumbai.
According to police, the accused provided forged documents using fake addresses and employed middlemen to smuggle illegal immigrants through border towns into major cities like Mumbai and Ahmedabad. They also created fake identities to open bank accounts, which were then misused for loan fraud and cybercrimes.
Officials believe the racket facilitated the illegal entry of at least 24 Bangladeshi nationals in recent months, including 12 women and three children.
“This points to a highly organized nexus of illegal migration, identity forgery, and financial fraud with serious national security implications,” said Ri-Bhoi District Superintendent of Police, Vivekanand Singh Rathore. “With India’s porous and hard-to-monitor borders with Bangladesh—particularly in states like Meghalaya—and growing instability in Bangladesh, such threats are on the rise. This calls for increased vigilance by intelligence and law enforcement agencies nationwide.”
Authorities have recovered forged documents, digital evidence, and tools used for fabricating identity cards from the accused. The trio has been brought to Meghalaya on transit remand for further investigation.
